enhancing the role of fatherhood, ongoing

In Scandinavia, one of the aims of family policies is to introduce measures to support the role of fatherhood. Sweden and Norway offer 1-month paternity leave, reserved solely for fathers. In Sweden, the strategy to increase the involvement of men as parents and caregivers has as a goal the promotion of shared responsibility in the home, which includes parenthood. The following measures have been taken

• creating training projects for fathers at maternity clinics combined with existing parenthood training programmes;
• encouraging fathers to take parental leave, for example; "fathers month" has been introduced into parental insurance scheme (this means that the father must take 30 days of the paid parental leave, otherwise the parents will lose their entitlement of compensation for that month).

Source: Family Policy. Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, Sweden.